Hosiery drier



Nov. 24, 193 1.

,E. H. STEERE ET AL HOS IERY DRIER Filed July 7. 19:50 2 Sheets-Sheet Nov. 24, 1931. E. H. STEERE ET AL 1,833,799

HOSIERY DRIER Filed July '7. 1950 2 Shgets-Sheet 2 gwuentow Patented Nov. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE EDWARD H. STEERE AND CLARENCE G. STEED, O-F ASI-IEBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, AS

SIGNORS 0F ONE-FOURTH TO N. M. .GRANFORD AND ONE-FOURTH T0 G. G. CRAN- FOBD, BOTH OF ASHEBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, AND 0NEFOUR'1H TO SAID STEERE .A.ND ONII'EI-IEOUIR'JJHv TO SAID STEED HOSIERY nnrnn Application med July 7,

' The present'invention relates to improvements in means for drying and shaping knitted garments, and is particularly adapted for drying hosiery.

In the manufacture of textile garments, and particularly hosiery, it is customary to dry the same over forms, and in order to prevent undesirable shrinking of the garment and maintain it in an'unwrinkled condition-dun ing the operation, clamping means are provided for retaining thegarment in position over a suitable form. 1 p a s 7 While the present improvements are adapted for use in drying garments-of Various kinds, they are, as before noted, particularly adapted for drying hosiery, and such an embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accom panying drawings.

In the drawings: 7 Figure 1 is an elevation of a dryingapparatus, including a plurality of hosiery forms, having an embodiment of the present invention applied thereto. a V L Figure 2 is a horizontal'section, on an'enlarged scale, on the line 22 of Figure 1. V

Figure 8 is an elevation, on an enlarged scale, of part of the means shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse section, on substantially the same scale as Figure 3, on the line 44 of Figure 1. V

Figure 5 is a transverse section substantially on the line '55 of Figure 2. Referring to the drawings, in the several figures of which like parts are designated by the same reference characters, the embodiment of the invention illustrated includes a plurality of hosiery forms, each comprising a base or pedestal section'l, and a body 2, of substantially elliptical form in cross section, which is connected with the pedestal or base by a neck 3. r r 1 As is customary, the body 1 having the form of the garment to be dried is of tubular construction, and the several forms are shown as being mounted on'and in communication with a common conduit 4 for the steam, heated air, or other drying medium employed.

A clamping means including two bell crank levers is associated with each of the forms. The bell cranks of each pair of clamps each include an upright arm 5 and a laterally extending arm 6 and, as shown,"said bell cranks are pivotally mounted as at 7 ona rail or frame member 8 which is supported by brackets 9 connected with and extending fora ward from certain'of the base sections '1 of theforms. The rail or frame member 8' extends throughout the series of forms and is provided at its ends and at'suit'able inter} mediate points With forwardly projecting cars 10 in which is mountedra; rockshaft l1 that will be hereinafter more particularly referred toi 1 v As shown, the brackets 9 are secured" by bolts or'scrcws 15 to the form base 1 and the rail 8 is connected by a suitable fastening meansl'fi to-said brackets. 'It is not necessary to'connect the rail 8 with each ofthe forms, but it "merely serves to tie theseveral forms together and provide a firm support for th several clamping means.

-' The "bolts or screws 15 which secure the rail carrying brackets in position, may also be the means for connecting form bases l to the-conduit 4. V

Laterally projecting arms 6 of each pair of bell cranks are so constructed that the'free ends thereof are in overlapping relation as shown particularly in Figure 3, and'one of i said arms is provided adjacent its free end '6 and form are so related that a minimum amountofco'ntactwith' the garment being dried isprovided and there is nodanger of the garment being marred as frequently occurs when the clamping means is related to the form 'so that it contacts with or bears against opposite faces-thereof as distinguished from cooperating with the side edges.

Thejaws 20, are, as above noted, adjustable with relation to the bell cranks by which they are carried. As shown, the jaw has a slot 200 formed therein and screws 21 extend through such slot and into the head at the outer end of the member of the bell crank.

The members 5 of the two bell cranks associated with each form are connected by a spring 30, and this is so related to the pivots 7 of the bell cranks that the tension ofthe spring acts to maintain the two members of the clamp in operative relation with the form, or in the open inoperative position to which said clamping members are moved when the forms- 7 o go , iThe rook..s e t l sp o id d at ne e d with e'suit le h ndle llaa d at suitable points in its length with fingers 40, The. finge s e0 are spaced, along the rock shaft so that each of them will be in alignment with the! proje tion 1:7 o o of the. members of eeehelempt The efore, by rocking the shaft, atpres tre may be exe ted on the projection 1 an thereby the bel cranks will, be posib fif y ocked: rom, the operative position shown at the left in Figure 3 into. the open pos tionsh wn at the rig t i the same Figure; thus. releasingth clamping meansv of each of-the forms. A spring is preferably provided for holding the rock shaft in Po itio Where the fingers40thereof willpermil h membersof the clamp tobeiclosed at w ll, upon the forms, and after the handle .1a has bee r lea and the shaft returned toits normal position, the several members may be readily and independently closed or moved into theoperative position with rela tion to the form.

a It believed that the operation and advantages ottheimproveinents will be readily understood, from the foregoing description in connection withgthe drawings.

8H is customary in hosiery mills for a Single attendant to operate a series of forms,

and it Will be understood. that a single rock Shaft 1]; is to beemployed with each group. shown in, Figure l, stockings have. been applied to a, each of the three forms at the lefth nd. side of the group, but asfyet stockingshave not been slipped over the formsat the right, .As the operator places astockingin position upon. e the o the ght and terms (Figure )a ry l gh p e r pon the openjawswill bringthem into closed 1 lationW tht-h form andin po ition toclamp are to be removed from the the stocking between the jaws and the edges of the form 2. i

While the garments applied to one set of forms are drying, the attendant can be removing dried garments from another set.

When the garments on any group of forms are sufficiently dried, the attendant by merev .ly rocking the shaft 11 can moveall'of the clamping devices. into inoperative relation to the form (as shown at theuri ght inFigures 1 and and thenvreadily strip the dried garments from the several forms.

- It will be understood that in the drawings some ofthe parts, are illustrated more or less diagrammatically and except where specif icelly noted inthe appended claims it is not 7 desired to limit the invention, to the exact arrangement shown, as there can, of course be considerable variation in details without de .e fting from the invent on. r

' Ve claim: r

"1 Means for drying and Shapin'ggiarments comprising a drying form, two pivotally mounted clamping members adapted to cooperate-with said form and having opposite-v 1y directed lateral arms which are in overlapping relation when thQClZLIDPS are, in oper:

ative relation to. the form, a springconnecting the lamps and'acting tohold them in. either operative or inoperative relation to the form, and a manually voscillatable member,

jaw-like member adapted toengagean edge of the form, the, other members'ofsaid bell renksh vi gzt eir re en s n app for relat on. wh n s id ja s a e n op at e r relet gll o the iorm,aspring connecting the jaw carrying members of thebell. cranks and adapted to hold the jaws in operative. relaion, to; the form or out of contact therewith, and means tor-positively rocking; one of said hell Cranks about itsipivotto move the jaws away from the form.- 1

1 3, Means for dryi, ,gand Shaping garments e mnr sins, dry n o m, a; a of h ll eranksa ieW diustab y e r .t onea m oi"; ee hhe l; r nk ndj ep edt g geone edge-0 the f rm, the ther rms Qt said e cran s e g n engag nge t on Whenth parts are positioned so that the are in op t ve r e ionatojthe i mte sp connecting the carrying arms of the, bell empire and. adapted; to hold them: i P ion to hold the jaws. either in contact with the term. enay h e r mt an ens-f rposi tively, moving the, bell cranks. to carry the jaw from op rative e at on e heform 4. In agarment drying and shapingimeans, the com na ion" f. a. plurali yjof drying forms, means for clamping a garment on each form comprising a pair of opposed bell crank levers, one arm of each said bell crank being adapted to cooperate with the form to hold a garment in position thereon and the free ends of the other arms of said levers being in overlapping relation, a spring connecting the members of each pair of levers and adapted to hold them in either operative orv inoperative position with relation to the associated form, and a rock shaft extending past all of the forms and provided opposite each end thereof with a projection adapted to cooperate with the overlapping sections of the arms of the adjacent pair of bell crank levers I to positively rock said levers into inoperative relation to the forms as said shaft is actuated.

5. In a garment drying and shaping means, the combination of a plurality of drying forms, a bar extending past all of the forms, means for clamping a garment on each form comprising a pair of opposed bell crank levers fulcrumed on said bar, one arm of each said pivotally mounted on said bar adjacent each form, one member of each of said bell cranks being adapted to cooperate with the form to hold a garment in position thereon, a spring connecting each pair of bell cranks and acting to hold said bell cranks in either operative or inoperative relation with the associated form,

and a rock shaft journaled in'bearings on sand bar and provided opposite each form bell crank being adapted to cooperate with the form to hold a garment in position thereon the free. ends of the other arms of said levers being in overlapping relation, a spring connecting the members of each pair'of levers and adapted to hold them in either operative or inoperative position with relation to the associated form, and a rock shaft mounted in hearings on said bar and provided opposite each form with a projection adapted to cooperate with the overlapping sections of the arms of the adjacent pair of bell crank levers to positively rock said levers into inoperative relation to the forms as said shaft is actuated.

6. in a garment drying and shaping means, the combination of a plurality of drying forms, a bar supported by the forms and extending past all of them, means for clamping a garment on each form comprising a pair of hell crank levers fulcrumed on said bar, one arm of each said bell crank being adapted to cooperate with the form and the other arm of one lever having an outwardly projecting member, a spring connecting the members of each pair of bell cranks and adapted to hold them in either operative or inoperative relation with the associated form, and a rock shaft journaled invbearings on said bar and provided with a plurality of fingers, one in alignment with each of the said outwardly extending members on the bell cranks, whereby all of the clamps may be simultaneously moved into inoperative relation to the forms as said shaft is actuated.

7. In a garment drying and shaping means, the combination of a plurality of substantially upright drying forms, a substantially horizontal bar extending throughout the series of forms near the lower ends thereof and supported by brackets projecting forward from the forms, a pair of opposed bell cranks 

